Deciding to dye your hair light blonde, especially if you are a brunette, is a big decision to make. You’ve probably been saving pictures of blonde beauties on your Pinterest and Instagram boards, wondering if you can commit to the process and color change. If going blonde has been something you’ve wanted to do for a long time, there’s never a better time to commit to it! Transforming into a blonde will come with some changes and not the urban myth that says you’ll have more fun and become ditzy.
Instead, you will most likely notice that your hair’s normal texture has changed. If you have naturally straight hair it may turn wavy and your hair will be fragile and can – and will – easily break when you brush through it. Along with that, your hair will probably become easily dried out and you most likely won’t have to wash it as often. If these seem like dealbreakers for you or you’re someone who isn’t willing to put time into your hair with products and styling tools in order regain your natural, everyday hairstyle, don’t dye your hair blonde. However, if you are on the opposite end of the spectrum and decide to go for it, and have decided to complete this process at home rather than spend $300 at a salon, these are the steps you must take:
Step 1:
The first step to dying your hair blonde is to begin prepping your hair as soon as you decide you want to take the plunge. To prepare your hair for going through cycles of bleaching and toning, it is necessary to make sure your hair is at its healthiest possible state. In order to ensure optimal hair health, use deep conditioning hair masks, coconut oil and wash your hair as little as possible so that you don’t dry it out.
Step 2:
Rather than searching your local drugstore for the right products, take a trip to Sally Beauty Supply, which has some of the best dyes and toners for reasonable prices. The products below are necessary:
L’oreal Quick Blue High-Performance Lightening Powder: Depending on the color and texture of your hair, the number of packets of powder will vary. For someone with thick, dark brown, coarse hair, I recommend getting four packets of the lightening powder. Developer: There are different strengths of developers, and the higher the developer’s number, the stronger it is. Although you may need a strong developer to strip your hair of its natural color, I recommend getting a 20 or 30 strength developer to be safe.
Toner: Deciding what toner to buy depends on what color you ultimately decide you want your hair to be. Wella Professionals Color Charm Hair Color has many different options and works wonders after bleaching.
Clairol Shimmer Lights Purple Shampoo and Conditioner for Blonde and Silver Hair: After you have completed the entire process, you will need the purple shampoo and conditioner for upkeep. The purple color takes away any brassy or yellow tones that your hair may have or start to develop and will leave you with your desired shimmery blonde hair.
Step 3:
Once you are in a room with some ventilation so that the smell of bleach for a few hours doesn’t make you sick, grab a bowl, a paintbrush and gloves. Section off your hair into small parts so that you can handle it easier and make sure you are not leaving out any strands.
Step 4:
Begin mixing the bleaching powder with the developer, making sure you are using one part powder with two parts developer. This will create a blue solution that you can then use your paintbrush to paint the bleach onto your hair. If you are uncomfortable using a paintbrush, use your hands to apply it to your hair but make sure you are wearing gloves. Once a section is completed, put the completed part up once again and take down the next. Repeat these steps until all of your hair is covered in bleach.
Step 5:
Keep the bleach on your hair for up to 45 minutes. After, wash it out thoroughly with cold water. Based upon the color of your hair after this step, you may need to repeat the whole process of step 4 over again until your hair is close to the lightest shade you want. After the initial bleaching process, you may find that your once dark locks are now the shade of tangerine. Don’t panic – you just need to repeat the bleaching process again. Steps four and five are the most damaging because you are quite literally taking the pigments out of your hair and breaking down the hair fibers. After this, you may find that your hair is much weaker and prone to breakage. If you are completing dyeing your hair over the course of a few days, wait a day between each bleaching step and use deep conditioning or coconut oil treatment on your hair.
Step 6:
At this time, your hair should have reached a light yellow-blonde color so that you can tone it properly. After sectioning off your hair into manageable parts, once again get out a bowl, paintbrush and gloves. Mix one part toner with two parts developer and paint each section of hair with this dye. Leave the toner on for 45-60 minutes and wash it out completely with cold water.
Step 7:
You’re a blonde!
From here on out you will want to wash your hair with the purple shampoo and conditioner 24 hours after you have completed toning it. Waiting a day before using shampoo and conditioner will help the color to develop and last longer so the upkeep will not be as difficult. Continue to use this purple shampoo and conditioner every time you wash your hair, rinsing your hair out with cold water.